A 5-Day Itinerary In Philadelphia From a Local’s Perspective / Han

As my wife shared in her post, I came up with the idea of sharing our ideal 5-day Philadelphia itinerary as we were returning from Brooklyn, New York last summer. We were on our way home from visiting the Jay-Z exhibit at the Brooklyn Library with my brother-in-law and the idea came to me. Often times before a trip, I find myself watching YouTube videos or researching to get an idea of certain places I think we should check out and I thought it might be helpful for people visiting Philadelphia for the first time to hear recommendations from someone local to the area.

So here is my ideal itinerary, keeping in mind if you would arrive on a Tuesday (which I think would be the best time to arrive for a 5-day trip).

DAY #1 –

1. Visit Reading Terminal Market and browse the stalls.
2. Eat at Dinic’s Roast Pork. I’d recommend getting a roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone.
3. Have dessert at Basset’s Ice Cream.
4. Walk around Chinatown, and take a picture near the arch.
5. Check out any of the shops there and get bubble tea. Perhaps bookmark a restaurant for later on.
6. Eat at a local restaurant in Chinatown for dinner.
7. Have a nightcap at Yard’s Brewery

DAY #2 –

1. Park at the Ritz Theater lot because that’s a good place to park the car.
2. Walk over from there to Spruce Street Harbor if traveling during the warmer months. If visiting in the cooler months, take a walk down Penns Landing to Winterfest.
3. Find a restaurant along 2nd Street or Market Street that you’d like to try.
4. Go to the Museum of the American Revolution to view their exhibits.
5. Walk down a few blocks and take pictures at Independence Park.
6. While there, visit the Liberty Bell, which is a free exhibit.
7. Visit the Elfreth’s Alley Museum.
8. Zahav for dinner, but make sure you make reservations in advance. It can be difficult to get a table there.
9. If you still have an appetite, you should grab ice cream from Franklin Fountain.

DAY #3 –

1. Go to the Penn Museum. You can spend quite a bit of time there.
2. Have lunch at Kilimandjaro-youma also known as Youma African cusine in some search engines. We have a large African community in West and Southwest Philadelphia, so I think supporting one of their restaurants is a must.
3. Drive on down to the Mutter Museum near Rittenhouse for a unique experience.
4. Walk along the Schuylkill River Trail to see our skyline and architecture in a new way.
5. Eat at The Dandelion for dinner.

DAY #4 –

1. Start the day off getting tomato pies at Sarcone’s Bakery.
2. Walk around the Italian Market on 9th Street and check out the local stores there. Stock up on things like oils and pasta.
3. Go to Termini Bros and get cannolis.
4. Do the Eagles Stadium tour. Make sure to book ahead though.
5. Eat John’s Roast Pork for lunch. If you’re on your own, order the roast pork. If with someone else, one person can order the Roast Pork Italiano and the other person can order a cheesesteak with American cheese wit (as in with onions). Does not need mayo or ketchup, but they’ll give it to you on the side. I recommend not doing that though.
6. Do a walking tour with Free Tours by Foot or other walking tours in the area.
7. Get Ralph’s Italian restaurant for dinner. It’s the oldest-running Italian restaurant in America. I’d recommend making reservations for this place though.

DAY #5 –

1. Go to South Philly Barbacoa. Get up early for it because they close once they sell out of food.
2. Go to Rim Cafe to try their hot chocolate, cannolis or coffee.
3. Visit Magic Gardens.
4. Walk around, window shop or purchase something on South Street.
5. Visit FDR Park for their Southeast Asian Market. Philadelphia is one of the cities with the largest Cambodian population, so you can’t get the full taste of Philadelphia without trying Khmer food.

Honorable Mentions

1. The Benjamin Franklin Museum
2. The Constitution Center
3. Franklin Institute After Dark. It’s only on certain days of the month though.
4. Angelo’s Pizzeria
5. The Philadelphia Art Museum
6. Frankford Hall
7. The Philadelphia Zoo
8. Photo at Roberto Clemente Park which is where the filmed the opening part of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. It’s in the Fairmont section of the city.

As you can see, five days may not be enough and the honorable mentions list can be a lot longer. However, this is my personal ideal 5-day stay in Philadelphia, but there’s always something to do in the greatest city in America!